Barrington, New Jersey’s young hopefuls Count To Four set out to solidify their name as a reckoning force within the vast plethora of pop punk bands with their debut full-length, offering Between Two Cities.
The record starts with a gulp of breath from vocalist/guitarist Mike Hayden on “I Hope Not”, grabbing and thrusting you into the foyers of anticipation while he declares, "Well, I’ve been waiting a year to tell you how I’ve been feeling and I feel it’s a waste of time...". The words are laced in conviction, which lathers listeners as the refrain is repeated. “Lavender Town” is more uplifting, providing a bittersweet revelry to the declarations of cynicism with the inner lining of hope.
Although Between Two Cities features fresh new material, the record also offers re-recorded versions of old songs from Count To Four’s first EP, Know Where You Come From. Together, the collection of material provides a detailed accumulation of the history of the band: the past and where they’re heading. Two old flames, “Plastic Dinosaurs” and “You Got Your Woody Allen In My Gerard Butler”, make an appearance on the record. Although the former sits awkwardly sonically within the mature material of Between Two Cities, the latter is revamped to where it soars with its enchanting flight to the point where you have to double-take at your speakers at the risk of them levitating.
“Get To It” slithers onto your unsuspecting ears as the shift of tone is profound. Hayden is a vessel tugging your attentive soul into his skin as he evokes empathy in the defeated inflection of his voice. "I remember the time that I broke down, but I don’t need a reminder to know how I feel about you now", is sincerity in its bare skin.
The production on Between Two Cities has propelled Count To Four to new heights where a confidence to employ new styles is evident. From the spector-esque wall of sound on “Tear It Apart” to the bouncy pop sheen of “Good Days, Pt. II”, which could be the band's “Shoulder To The Wheel”. The darkest moment on the record, “My M.O.”, displays the band shedding a distinct alternative rock influence and allows the band to experiment with electronic drums and break-beats as well as subtle glockenspiel trills. “My M.O.” is a stretch on the record, which doesn’t mark them too far off from Armor For Sleep and Story Of The Year for a brief moment.
The band returns to steady ground with the old gem “Growing Up And Growing Beards”, from the Know Where You Come From EP, after the brief break in consistency. Hayden extends his hand through your speakers and sounds like he’s on the brink of shattering between each word of "When I say that I’m losing the battle, all I mean is that I’m trying to heal, I’m trying to speak out against all this depression I feel...".
Closer, “Bottles And Books” is apt, tying the knot to this record, where the band bids goodbye with melodic spits of fire at the end of the disintegrating splint, which was set alight at the beginning of Between Two Cities.
Between Two Cities is a step towards maturity for Count To Four and displays moments of where the band is on the steady trail of crafting memorable songs. The breaks of consistency in the record are the moments of conflicting sounds, which come across as arbitrary filler. However, these moments are outweighed by the potential of the youthful spirit on the enticing moments on the record.
Tracklist:
1. I Hope Not
2. Lavender Town
3. Plastic Dinosaurs
4. You Got Your Woody Allen In My Gerard Butler
5. Get To It
6. Tear It Apart
7. Good Days, Pt. II
8. My M.O.
9. Growing Up And Growing Beards
10. Bottles And Books
RIYL: The Years Gone By, Shorelines (MI)
Rating:
Written by Aaron Akeredolu
